Client Spotlight: Lourdes Gant – Manatee Holdings

We’d like to congratulate our client Lourdes Gant for being selected as one of PROFIT and Chatelaine’s Top 100 Women Entrepreneurs in Canada in 2014 and 2012. (Top 5 in 2014!)

We figured it was the perfect opportunity to share more about the amazing things she is doing as an entrepreneur…

Please tell us more about your business.

I have two hats.

First, I am presently the CFO of Manatee Holdings Ltd. and am being groomed to take over the position of CEO in the future. Manatee is an aquaculture company pioneering sustainable ways to produce Geoduck clams and sea cucumbers in British Columbia.

My second role is helping executive business owners to transform both their lives and their businesses in ways that improve the quality of both by connecting them to their core purpose. You can find out more at www.theintegratedbusinessdoctor.com

These two roles fulfill my life purpose of being a passionate mentor and visionary businesswoman.

What inspired you to join or create these companies?

I met my husband in 2007 and I joined his company in 2008. Since joining Manatee, I have helped increased their revenue by over 200%. The family enterprise we have expanded upon since 2007 allows me to use my unique skill-set to oversee the relationship between the bottom line and the culture of the company

My work within the company as the CFO and auditor, combined with my mentoring capabilities to improve the quality of life of high-end executives has transformed the company my husband originally created. The same combination of capabilities is also helping us to parent our young son. It’s an inspiration to be able to bring perspective and insight into someone’s leadership style, while intuitively guiding them through the tough decisions they face as executive business owners. And at the same time help them remember the spirit and passion behind their day-to-day lives.

What common trends do you see with your clients (needs, position, inspiration, etc.)?

The average executive spends almost 2,000 hours each year at the office. In the old business strategies, the common trend was to focus on just pursuing money. We now realize there is a greater profit to be made across the entire spectrum of life if we ensure that we are also enjoying our work environment and making it a healthy and productive experience, both professionally and personally. I refer to this as Quality of Life Audit. We have seen in our own business not only an increase in revenue and productivity in the company, but more importantly a better wellbeing.

What’s the most rewarding thing about what you do?

The most rewarding thing about what I do is to be in what Strategic Coach calls my “Unique Ability.” This means to stay focused on my vision, to do only what I am best at, and what I enjoy the most, and to find ways to delegate everything else.

What are your greatest recent accomplishments?

I was ranked by PROFIT and Chatelaine magazines as one of Canada’s Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs in 2012 and in 2014.

In addition, I helped our company raise an additional $2.5 million in funding for our aquaculture operations.

How has working with DemGen benefited your business?

Working with DemGen allowed me to have a paradigm shift in terms of looking for alternatives to challenges that accomplish the vision both parties wanted as a result of our relationship.

How has ‘going virtual’ benefited your business?

It saves our companies thousands of dollars. In addition, it allows me to tap into resources with more leverage by being able to hire the best talents from the country where I was originally from which is the Philippines. Just recently, I saw an example of this when someone in North America without experience and just out of university who had an asking salary of $150,000.00 annually had her equivalent of someone from Asia who was better educated and working for $10,000 annually.

Did you have any initial reservations about ‘going virtual’? If so, what made you change your mind?